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What is next for local UFC title contender Stipe Miocic?

Stipe Miocic was dominant in his last fight against Fabio Maldonado at TUF Brazil Finale. Here is a look at what could be next for the UFC star. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, John Woods) ORG XMIT: JGW123 ORG XMIT: CLE1306160052583987
(John Woods)

While it was not against Junior Dos Santos (who pulled out of the fight three weeks before), Miocic did exactly what he was expected to.

With the win, Miocic moved to 12-1 in his career, while remaining in the top seven in the heavyweight class. Many people are thinking that his next match will be against Dos Santos, but right now, Miocic is just wanting Dos Santos to get healthy.

"Injuries are a big thing in this sport, and there is really nothing you can do about them," said Miocic, who lives in Independence. "He is a terrific fighter and I would love to go up against him in the future. However, I really just want him to get healthy. I just need to keep focusing on myself, keep training and just be ready for whoever I have to fight."

Here is a look at the three candidates who are the most likely to be Miocic's next opponent.

Junior Dos Santos: This is the most obvious choice as this was supposed to be the matchup on May 31. Dos Santos is currently the No. 2 heavyweight contender in the world, and at one time was the champion. He earned that title with a knockout victory against Cain Velasquez on November 12, 2011. However, he has lost his last two matches against the champion, being dominated in both of those matches. Even though Dos Santos is higher in the rankings, this would be a great matchup for Miocic. He has the athleticism that will give Dos Santos fits, and in his last match, showed he has the ability to end a match with one punch. This is the fight people want to see, and definitely the most likely to happen.

Antonio Silva: Silva is coming off one of the best heavyweight fights of all time, as he and Mark Hunt went toe-to-toe for five rounds before the judges called the fight a draw. In most draws in the UFC, the fans are livid with the result. However, this was one of the rare occasions where the draw was OK in the public's eyes, as both fighters were incredible. Silva is huge, and would have a 20-pound weight advantage in a fight against Miocic. In his three most recent losses (Velasquez (2), Cormier), Silva has run into problems against smaller fighters with great cardio and athleticism.

Travis Browne: This one is the biggest stretch of the three, as Browne suffered broken ribs, as well as a broken nose and hand in an April 19 loss to Fabricio Werdum. That was a huge loss as Browne would most likely be the guy going up against Cain Velasquez in a championship fight Nov. 15. Browne is a talented fighter in his own right, and has the cardio to match up with Miocic, as well as the athleticism. If he is able to get back to training soon, this could be a possibility. However, this will be influenced by when Miocic wants to get back into the octagon. If it is in the near future, then that most likely eliminates this possibility. However, if Miocic's next fight is at the end of this year, these two could be competing in a match with a championship fight on the line.

Contact reporter Mark Kern by email mkern@cleveland.com or Twitter (@Markkern11). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

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